Chapter 129 – Silence in the Gremory Territory, A Meeting with the Mother-in-Law
Kuroka wasn't the kind of woman who'd get in the way of her little sister's relationship with a man.
However, she had one non-negotiable rule—nothing was allowed to happen until Shirone reached adulthood. That was the absolute line she'd drawn as her older sister.
"Onee-sama~"
Seeing Kuroka suddenly acting so flustered, Koneko couldn't help but feel both embarrassed and moved. No matter how much time had passed, her sister hadn't changed. She was still the same loving, overprotective big sister as always.
Not long after, Vali and his team left the Underworld. Given their status as members of the Khaos Brigade, their continued presence within Devil territory was too dangerous and politically delicate.
Kuroka, however, chose to stay behind.
Her reason was simple—to protect her sister, and personally teach her the true art of Senjutsu.
Naturally, Shin Akira didn't object. In fact, he saw this as a promising development.
But while everything on the surface had settled down, something else began to gnaw at Akira from within.
There was only 2% left until he completed the inheritance of his Template. All he needed now was one more powerful opponent—just one final spark to push him over the edge.
Originally, he planned to challenge Sairaorg Bael.
A man who built his strength through pure training and had even tamed Regulus Nemea, a Sacred Gear classified as a God Slayer. Without a doubt, Sairaorg was a worthy target.
Unfortunately, right after Rias's coming-of-age ceremony, Sairaorg had to rush back to the Bael family estate due to urgent family matters.
Once again, Akira was left wandering the vast Gremory estate… frustrated, with no one strong enough to face him.
To make matters worse, two other candidates he had been targeting—descendants of the Old Maou faction—were suddenly removed from the board.
In the original timeline, one of them had driven Issei Hyoudou into triggering Juggernaut Drive, while the other had been annihilated by the full force of Sirzechs Lucifer.
But in this timeline, things had changed.
Thanks to the survival and capture of Diodora Astaroth, Ajuka Beelzebub had personally stepped in to extract his memories, launching a systematic purge of all remaining Old Maou supporters.
While everyone celebrated during Rias's ceremony, a silent war was being waged in the shadows.
Many of the noble houses aligned with the Old Maou faction were quietly erased—including the very two Akira had originally set his sights on.
They joined the fate of Katerea Leviathan, whom Akira had already eliminated earlier.
Now, only one bloodline remained: the direct descendant of Lucifer—Vali.
— — —
Inside the Gremory residence, Akira sat slouched in a chair, idly sorting through potential opponents in his mind.
Just then, a gentle voice broke the silence.
"Akira-sama, your tea."
It was Grayfia Lucifuge, standing by his side with a silver tray in hand.
"Ah… thanks, Grayfia. Just leave it on the table."
"As you wish."
As always, Grayfia executed her duties flawlessly—elegant and composed, despite possessing power that rivaled even Maou-class Devils.
"…Say, Grayfia. You're at Maou level too, right?"
"Yes, Akira-sama. Is something the matter?"
It was well-known that Grayfia had fought alongside Sirzechs during the Devil Wars. At one point, she was even considered a rival to Serafall Leviathan for the title of the strongest female Devil.
Though the final outcome was never made public, Serafall became Leviathan, and Grayfia became Sirzechs's Queen, wife, and trusted aide.
"…Then how about sparring with me?"
"…I beg your pardon?"
"No particular reason. I'm just bored. Rias and the others are all off training, and I've got nothing to do."
"My apologies, but I'm quite busy with household matters today."
"Come on… I'm sure you can make time."
"Once again, I'm sorry, Akira-sama. I really must be going."
Without waiting for a response, Grayfia bowed gracefully and turned to leave.
Akira sighed.
Even though he was technically Rias's fiancé and part of the Gremory household now, Grayfia was still Sirzechs's wife—his sister-in-law, in a manner of speaking.
Challenging her to a duel wasn't exactly appropriate, either morally or politically.
— — —
"Ara~ Akira-san, so this is where you've been hiding?"
A warm, playful voice drifted from behind him.
When Akira looked up, he saw a beautiful mature woman approaching with elegant steps.
It was none other than Venelana Gremory—Rias's mother, and Akira's future mother-in-law.
"Venelana-san."
Akira stood up respectfully and greeted her properly, as a junior should.
"Where's Rias off to now?"
"She's in the middle of some intense training. Even though her battle with Souna-kaichou ended in a draw, she wasn't satisfied with her own performance. So now she's pushing herself harder."
"That stubborn girl… Still, leaving her fiancé all alone like this is a bit rude, don't you think?"
Akira gave a soft, dry smile.
Ever since arriving in the Underworld, his interactions with Rias had been quite limited. Outside of formal events and family meetings, they barely saw each other.
Unlike the original story, Rias didn't have the Red Dragon Emperor as her trump card this time. Without that power, it was no surprise she felt the need to sharpen her own team to perfection.
But Akira didn't blame her—not even a little.
Their relationship right now was still in its early stages.
They were more than friends, but not quite lovers yet.
Sure, she'd kissed him on the cheek and been more than a little affectionate… but emotionally, the distance between them still lingered.
"…By the way, I heard from Grayfia you asked her for a duel?"
"Yeah, just a passing thought. But she turned me down."
"Well then… why don't I keep you company instead?"
"…Huh?"
Akira blinked. Did he just hear that right?
He stared at Venelana, unsure whether she was being serious.
Sparring with his mother-in-law? Even as a joke, that sounded insane.
If Rias found out, she'd explode. And if by some miracle Akira lost… well, let's just say the damage to his pride would be permanent.
"Haha… I appreciate the offer, but that really won't be necessary. You're my senior—I'd never dare raise a hand against you."
"What's the harm? Just a light sparring session to pass the time."
"No, really. Thank you, but… I'll have to decline."
Despite Venelana's enthusiasm, Akira held firm.
Because honestly… winning would feel wrong, and losing would be mortifying. Touching his fiancée's mother with magic—even in a fight—was a whole different level of taboo.
"Don't worry," she said with a serene smile, eyes gleaming with confidence. "After all, I'm the mother of Sirzechs and Rias. Of course I have some power of my own."
As she spoke, waves of devil energy began to rise from her body.
The air around them shimmered and trembled. But her aura wasn't violent—it was graceful, refined… like cherry blossoms blooming in the middle of a snowstorm.
Beautiful, but deadly.
This elegant, dignified Yamato Nadeshiko-like woman standing before him… was undoubtedly a Maou-class Devil.
Akira could only stare in awe.
"Unbelievable…"
There were no other words to describe what he felt.
So this was the Gremory family.
Her son, Sirzechs Lucifer, was a Transcendent—far beyond ordinary Devils.
Her daughter, Rias, was an elite in the making.
And now even the mother turned out to be a monster in disguise?
Which meant… the only normal one in the household was Lord Zeoticus Gremory, the family patriarch?
That's… kinda hilarious.
But the more he thought about it, the more it all made sense.
To give birth to someone like Sirzechs, to raise a prodigy like Rias—Venelana had to be extraordinary.
She wasn't just a noble's wife. She was a battle-hardened woman who had survived the ancient Devil Wars.
And now she stood before him, as graceful as ever—offering him a duel.
The real question was…
What kind of crazy family had he just signed up to marry into?
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